Second Chances
by buffythevampireslayer33
Summary: After 7th book, without '19 years later'. Everyone is back to Hogwarts for a REAL 7th year. Including a much kinder Draco Malfoy... Sorry I'm new at this...
1. Malfoy's return

_Thanks to reviewers for pointing out mistakes- and for reviewing. Your support is greatly appreciated! This is an updated chapter 1, with hopefully no more mistakes. Chapter 2 should be out tomorrow at the latest. :) _

Harry Potter, Ronald Weasly and Hermione Granger stepped off the Hogwarts express onto Platform 9 3/4. In the distance, they could see the towers of Hogwarts, familiar and comforting even after the battle that had taken place last year. Minerva McGonagall, now Hogwarts headmaster, had decided that the last year of Hogwarts needed a second chance, as many hadn't been able to attend and those that had attended had learned nothing of value. No one complained, not even the students who had to do the year over. They were too relived to have things back to the way they were supposed to be. The trio boarded a carriage with Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasly. Ginny and Harry were happily back together and Ron and Luna had fallen in love after the final battle of the previous year. Neville and Hermione, who currently had no one, just looked at each other and shrugged as the couples went into their own happy little worlds.

"Good summer, Neville?" Hermione asked.

He grinned, "Yeah. My parents are out of the hospital. They moved back in with me and Gran."

"Oh that's great, Neville! They must be so proud of you."

"They are. Of Gran too, after they heard about her standing up to the Deatheaters. How was your summer?"

"Oh, great." Hermione replied, "My parents were so happy that Voldemort was gone- they said they were proud that I was a witch but that I didn't need so much danger or excitement in my life."

Neville laughed, "Please. We're going to be so bored now."

The two laughed together, then Hermione said, "Oh, I almost forgot- Malfoy is coming back to Hogwarts."

Ginny, Harry, Luna and Ron heard her and focused their attention on her.

"What are you talking about mione?" Ron asked.

"Your dad mentioned it before we left." Hermione explained, "Apparently Lucius had him under the Imperius Curse. Dumbledore says that the 'real Malfoy' is the same in a lot of ways, but different too... It will be interesting I guess."

"Interesting?" Harry cried, "Mione are you forgetting he tried to kill us?"

"He didn't. He was just going to turn us into Voldemort. He never actually killed anyone and it wasn't his fault, he had no idea what he was doing."

"Well how long has he been under the Imperius Curse?" Ginny asked.

"Um... According to Mr. Weasly, since the beginning of 5th year."

"Oh dear." Luna whispered, "three years... Does he remember anything?"

"Everything." Hermione said, "The whole time he could see what was going on he just couldn't control his actions."

"Oh dear." Luna repeated.

"Oh well." Harry said, "He's probably still a git- was before 5th year."

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville nodded but Luna shrugged, "Maybe he's changed."

They all stared at her.

"Well it had to be a horrifying experience for him- those three years."

Harry frowned, "I don't think-"

He was cut off by Ron who wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulder and said , "Maybe. We can hope. I think we'd all be better off for it."

Luna smiled gratefully at him and the couples turned back to focus on each other.

"I think Ron's right." Neville said ,"About it being better? Especially for Malfoy. And you."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. While it was true that Malfoy had been quite mean to her over the years, she hadn't been the only one Malfoy had turned his anger on.

"What are you talking about, Neville?"

Now it was his turn to look surprised, "You mean you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Um... well... He was pretty mean to you, that's all."

"That's not what you meant!" Hermione argued.

But despite the effort she put into getting an answer out of him for the rest of the trip, Neville remained thoughtfully silent. Finally the four 7th students and the two 6th years students arrived at their beloved school. They all crowded in at the Griffindor table and watched as twice as many first year students then normal file into be sorted. Ginny nudged Harry and angled her head towards the Slytherin table and the others followed the direction of her head. Draco Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table, sitting alone at the far end. The other Slytherins were avoiding him as well as they could, causing one end of the table to be incredibly squashed. They didn't seem to know what to make of him anymore. He couldn't even depend on Crabbe and Goyle to sit with him, as Crabbe was dead and Goyle had not returned for another year at Hogwarts.

"He looks so sad." Luna remarked quietly, sounding quite miserable herself.

People are just confused, honey." Ron said comfortingly, "he'll probably get his posse back soon."

"But those aren't real friends." Luna pointed out, "I wonder if he's ever had one."

"I'm sure he..." Ginny began, then fell silent.

"Has never had a real friend in his life." Neville finished for her.

Harry glared at all of them and said to Hermione, "Are you going to start feeling sorry for him too?"

"Harry." Ginny said sternly, "What's wrong with you? You don't feel sorry for him at all?"

"No! He tried to kill Dumbledore! He tried to give us up to Voldemort."

"No he didn't! He was under a spell. Everyone deserves a second chance Harry. Is this how you felt about me when you found out I had been under Voldemort's spell?"

"No! Ginny... This is different." Harry said quickly, but Ginny stood and stalked from the table. Harry leapt up and followed her.

"Well. Malfoy's return is already causing trouble." Ron muttered.

"Ron." Luna said warningly, staring after her friend with concern in her eyes.

"Sorry, Luna." Ron replied automatically, but guiltily.

Hermione sighed and looked over at the blonde Slytherin. He had been watching the sorting, but as if he had felt her eyes on him he turned his head to look at her. Hermione stared back, curious. Malfoy's face shifted into a sneer, but he didn't seem to be able to keep that expression for long anymore. As he looked away again towards the front of the room, the sad look flitted back over his face and stayed there.


	2. The Singing Desk

_Thanks for your support, reviewers:) Here's the second chapter, as promised. I finally got over my writers block! Just to let you know, in chapter one when Hermione refered to something Dumbledore had said about Malfoy it was a reference from the portrait, not the person, as Dumbledore _is _dead in this story. Also... I would like some help from the reviewers. I can't decide who should be the new potions master. Any ideas? I would prefer if it wasn't a student, but maybe... :) _

_Disclaimers : I don't own Harry Potter, but I do own the singing desk in this story. J.K. Rowling didn't invent that lol _

The next morning Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna were called to the headmaster's office. As they walked down the hall towards the huge stone gargoyles that marked the enterance Hermione was muttering under her breath about headmistresses who made their students miss the first class of the year, while the others dicussed what Mcgonagall could possibly want to see them about.

"Maybe she just wants to tell us something about the Order." Neville suggested, looking doubtful.

"Maybe." Ginny agreed, "Or maybe she's decided that Ron makes a rotten head boy and she wants me to take over in his place." She threw a wide grin at her brother, who missed it completely.

"Why would they call us _all _down for- Hey!"

The others burst out laughing and Ron scowled, trying to fight a smile.

"Seriously though, " Luna said, "It's not that odd that she would call us, really."

"It's not?" Harry asked.

"Of course not. Not with our new hero status."

All summer the Prophet had been full of stories about the six Hogwarts students, 'led' by Harry Potter, who had made the downfall of Voldemort possible. It had named them 'Six brilliant new aurors in the making'.

"Yeah but it's all ridiculous, McGonagall knows that. We never could have done it without the other students and the teachers, and the Order."

Luna shrugged, keeping her thoughts to herself. Harry frowned at her, but let it drop, as they had reached the gargoyles.

"What's the letter say, Harry?" Hermionie asked, finally coming out of her horrified trance, "Is the password in there?"

"Yeah. I think so." He pulled out the letter and scanned it.

_Dear Mr.Potter, Mr. and Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom, _

_Please come to my office directly after breakfast. You are excused from your first class. The password is Liccorice wands. _

_Signed, _

_Proffesor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress_

"Liccorice wands." He said aloud, and the gargoyles stood aside. The six friends stepped onto the spiral marble steps, that instantly moved upwards and carried them outside the large door leading to the headmistresses office. Standing outside, they could hear McGonagall yelling at someone. "You have to make it stop!" She was saying, "All of it! The gargoyles only accept passwords that have the names of sweets. Whenever I'm alone in this office the desk starts singing. The sorting hat always practices lines for it's song, and-"

"I don't know why you want me to stop the desk from signing. I think it has a lovely singing voice." Replied Dumbledore.

As the six students entered the room they saw McGonagall standing in fornt of their old headmaster's portrait, hands on her hips. Dumbledore was leaning back against his frame, grinning at McGonagall. He spotted the students and winked, but McGonagall didn't seem to notice them.

"I'm sure it has a lovely voice, Albus, but the only songs it knows are 'beans, beans, the magical fruit', 'the song that never ends' and '99 bottles of beer on the wall'! Why won't you make them stop?"

"I can't." Dumbledore says, "I'm a picture."

"They'll listen to you anyway!"

"Proffesor." Dubledore said, rather sternly, "I think you're dealing under too much stress, these are inanimate objects were talking about. They can't _sing_."

Struggling not to grin, the man in the portrait turned to the students again and waved. McGonagall turned and gasped when she saw them, hand over her heart.

"You six are going to give me a heart attack, along with this old man and his inanimate objects. Sit down." She waved her wand and 6 chairs appeared in front of her desk, and another appeared beside hers on the other side of the desk. Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione, Ginny and Luna sat, wondering about the extra chair but not commenting.

"First of all, Harry, you will be reassigned as Captain of the Quittich team, and Ron and Ginny, you are of course welcomed back on the team if Harry deems your skill satisfactory." The headmistress grinned as Harry, Ginny and Ron highfived. But that is not the main reason I asked you to come up here. Remus is taking the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year." She smiled slightly as they all tried to talk at once, but she looked concerned. "Remus has been allowed to return because the parents of Hogwarts students are not nearly as afraid of werewovles. They know that none of them are under Voldemort's control, and that Greyback is dead. Besides, many parents have commented that with Harry Potter and his friends at the school no one will ever be harmed. But I must tell you that Remus is back mainly because of Tonks."

They looked at her confused.

"Sorry, but Tonks?" Hermione asked, curious, "You mean...He wants to be near the place where she..."

"In a manner of speaking. Nymphadora Tonks has returned to Hogwarts School of Whichcraft and Wizardry as a ghost. She cannot move on- won't move on- until Remus is with her."

"What?" Harry cried, alarmed. He knew the sort of thing Remus would do to help his wife move on to the next life.

"He cannot kill himself." McGonagall reasurred him, "If he does they will both remain at Hogwarts until they are at peace. He must die a natural death or die in battle, and when they are together they will both move on."

Ginny's eyes filled with tears, "That's so sad. Poor Remus."

"Remus will be here any second-" She was interupted by Remus opening the door and entering the room.

"I would like to introduce." McGonagall said, suddenly turning formal, "Proffesor R.J. Lupin. He is a proffesor and I would like you to treat him as such."

They ignored her and leapt up to hug their good friend. Remus smiled softly at the proffesor and said, "I told you it wouldn't work."

Remus hadn't smiled much since Tonks had died so the student's grins grew broader at the sight of it. Finally they all sat, Remus taking the chair next to McGonagall. "It decided it would be best to tell you about Remus' position before I introduced him to the school tomorrow. We are still trying to locate a new potions teacher, so until then, potions class is postponed. I would like to explain something to you before you leave. About Draco Malfoy."

Neville, Luna and Ginny glanced at each other as they all three noticed Hermione straighten slightly in her chair, eyes wide.

"Draco Malfoy has, as I'm sure you all know by now, has returned to Hogwarts." McGongall said, "Observing him last night, I noticed that he is trying to act as he always has, or maybe as he had before he was under the Imperius curse. Don't be fooled. He is not the same. He is trying to right his wrongs but he is full of guilt and doesn't think he deserves friends. Please be kind to him."

Harry looked slightly disgruntled at this, but the others nodded and smiled.Then Remus stood and said, "Come,. I'll walk down with you. I should go set my office up again."

Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Ron and Harry stood, waved goodbye to Dumbledore, and followed their new DADA teacher out of the class. As soon as they were on the other side of the door a low, warbly voice burst into 'the song that never ends'. They heard Dumbledore's joyful laughter and applause and McGonagall's pleas to make it shut up. Struggling not to laugh they got back on the spiral staircase and let it carry them down to the first floor. After saying goodbye to Remus, the six friends stood staring at each other in the deserted hall. Then they burst out laughing. And they didn't stop even when a teacher came out of their class to snap at them to be quiet and go to class.

_Sorry it's so short:) _


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